It'll Be Okay
by DolbyDigital
Summary: Heart racing, Colin pushed his way through the crowd, careful to keep his pace several steps down from a jog. He needed to walk fast enough that no one would see his face too long, but slow enough that he wouldn't cause suspicion.


**A/N** — Written for houses [g] with the theme escape and character Colin Creevey.

And thank you, Beks and Raven, for beta'ing :D

[740]

* * *

Heart racing, Colin pushed his way through the crowd, careful to keep his pace several steps down from a jog. He needed to walk fast enough that no one would see his face too long, but slow enough that he wouldn't cause suspicion.

"Are you okay, dear?" an elderly woman asked, stopping him in his tracks. Colin cursed inwardly.

"Yes, I'm fine thank you," he said, opting for a slightly posher accent than his own. It was unnecessary, really — they wouldn't know who he was, what he sounded like, just that his magic was 'stolen' — and gave her an attempt at a smile.

It had probably looked more strained than anything, he realised, when she asked: "Are you sure? You look a little unwell."

"No, I'm fine —"

"Is your mother around?" she interrupted. "Your father?"

Colin nods quickly. "Yeah, yeah. They're down the road," he said, "with my brother. I was just —" he lifted up the plastic carrier bag, shrugging a shoulder "— we forgot some stuff."

"Oh, alright," she said with a gentle smile. "Just be careful, dear," she added, her expression turning serious. "These are dangerous times we live in."

His breath caught in his throat — did she know something? — and he could feel the colour drain from his face, but he nodded, gave her a strained smile and said, "I will. Thank you," and hurried on his way.

He was careful to keep the bag clutched to his chest so he didn't accidentally drop it, but he knew he might need to abandon it — and all their supplies for the week — at a moment's notice. He'd spent far too long talking to the woman, wasted precious minutes that could be the difference between him getting away scot-free and him getting caught and punished for an act he did not commit.

They'd stayed here too long; he'd known that as soon as they'd made the decision to remain an extra week, but his brother had been ill and Colin hadn't liked the idea of moving him.

A shout at the end of the street startled him, almost causing him to drop his bag, but he held fast. He barely restrained himself from turning to look, but there was nothing he could do to stop himself from running. He'd thought his heart had been beating fast before, but now it was _pounding,_ reverberating in his skull, blood pulsing in his ears.

He picked up speed — he was definitely causing a scene now, but he couldn't bring himself to care. It might not even have been Snatchers, but that wasn't a risk he was prepared to take. He needed to get to his brother and get them as far from here as possible.

He ducked through a gap in a hedge — a shortcut he'd found to the high street on their second day here — wincing at the tearing sound. He managed to keep ahold of a few things, but the majority of their food went tumbling to the ground. He left it; there wasn't enough time to pick it up, even if he had another way of carrying it.

He didn't so much run down the hill as fall, but he was soon taking a left into the forest and running through the trees, skidding on still-damp leaves and branches leaving scratches and welts on his bare arms.

"Colin?" he heard a hesitant voice call. "Colin, is that you?"

He skidded to a stop, slipping and scraping his palms along the ground. "Shh!" he hissed. "If-if you're not sure it's —" he paused to suck in a gasping breath "— me, you need to stay quiet," he said.

"Sorry," Dennis whispered, crouching in front of Colin. "I just … what happened?"

"Nothing." Colin shook his head. "It's fine." Dennis frowned, opening his mouth to protest, but Colin continued before he could: "We need to move on." Colin looked down at what he'd managed to save from the bag — a sad loaf of bread and a leaking pint of milk; they needed more. "We need to find somewhere else," he said. "Can't go back into town yet, and we need more food."

He could clearly see the fear on Dennis' face, his eyes glassy with unshed tears, but Dennis nodded decisively. In that moment, Colin had never been more proud of his little brother.

Standing, he pulled his brother up after him, and whispered: "It'll be okay."


End file.
